ABSTRACT
In some contexts, techniques, such as pre-testing and long-term statistical studies, may help gauge test difficulty and scoring distributions, but such approaches have limited applicability for day-to-day testing in small classes. Some faculty take class time for a second administration of the original test. Students already know the test questions, and they have feedback on their original answers. Thus, they know what they got right and where they lost credit. Although the original column presents several initial ideas regarding constructive responses to low test scores, a faculty member's first reactions may not be particularly positive. To provide incentive for students to learn material that did not go well previously, an instructor might indicate one or more questions of previous tests will appear on the subsequent tests. Altogether, an instructor may be inclined to blame students for test results, but a more constructive approach may involve finding constructive ways to move forward.
